Rolling mills



Dec. 8, 1964 R. e. RUSSELL ETAL 3,160,037

ROLLING MILLS Filed Nov. 13, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l F'IG.1.

nventors v Attorneys Dec. 8, 1964 R. G. RUSSELL ETAL 3,160,037

ROLLING MILLS 1', 2 Filed Nov. 13, 1962 5 heets S ee MM ,QZZWMM Inventors by {M W Attorneys 3, 1964 R. e. RUSSELL ETAL 3,160,037

ROLLING MILLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 13, 1962 6 @v on in 8 Q Attorneys United States Patent 3,160,637 ROLLING MILLS Robert Gordon Russell, Polvarth, Park Lane, Pennyffordd, near Chester, West Vale, Weston, England, and

Harry Laurence Fred Bond, (loggers Laue, Blather-sage,

Sheilield, England Filed Nov. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 237,196 7 Claims. (Cl. S(l31.1)

This application is a continuation-in-part of our application, Serial No. 698,806, filed November 25, 1957, now abandoned.

This invention relates to rolling mills which have two vertical rolls driven from overhead, the work being ar ranged to pass between the rolls so as to be reduced in width between its vertical faces, and the rolls being so arranged as to be capable of being traversed towards and away from one another along a line joining their centres.

As is well known, it is necessary to change the work rolls comparatively frequently because they become worn and occasionally break.

In known examples of such mills the vertical rolls are driven from overhead gear which in turn is driven by a shaft connected to a prime mover. The shaft lies in the plane of traversing movement of the rolls and carries, e.g. a bevel wheel for each roll which meshes with a bevel wheel connected to the roll through a vertical shaft having slipper joints at its ends.

Roll changing in such known mills is effected as fol lows:

(l) the rolls are traversed so that they lie directly under their respective bevel wheels,

(2) the vertical shafts are lifted so that the lower slipper joint between each shaft and its respective roll is disconnected,

(3) one roll is traversed to the centre of the frame and lifted out by a crane and C-hook, and

(4) the other roll is then moved to the centre of the frame and lifted out by the crane and C-hook.

One disadvantage of these known mills is that as the,

drive shaft lies over the plane of traversing movement of the rolls, a direct lift cannot be obtained and a C-hook has to be used. The height of the C-hook must be deep enough to clear that part of the mill frame which overhangs the roll and the crane must at least be high enough to accommodate this C-hook and the travel required to lift the roll clear of its carrying frame, and therefore the shed containing the mill must be unduly high.

Another disadvantage is that if the vertical rolls are associated with other pairs of vertical or horizontal rolls in a universal mill or a continuous rolling plant the work path is obstructed while roll changing takes place.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a rolling mill which overcomes the first of the above-disadvantages and preferably also overcomes the second disadvantage.

According to the invention our rolling mill has two vertical work rolls arranged to be driven from overhead and means to traversethe rolls towards or away from one another along a line joining their centres, and the mill frame and components associated therewith are so disposed that a roll may be traversed by said means to a location where it is not overhung by any part of the mill structure.

By not overhung we mean that if an imaginary cylinder were projected upwardly from the roll in this position, the cylinder being coaxial with the roll and of the same cross-sectionas the roll and associated parts which Ice 3,160,037

the rolls may be traversed away from one another until each lies under one of the openings through which it may be withdrawn vertically. In this embodiment, the mill frame may comprise a structure substantialy in the shape of a bridge and the overhead gear is so placed on said structure as to leave shoulders wherein said openings are formed.

In another embodiment which overcomes only the first disadvantage, a single opening is provided substantially centrally of the mill frame.

In either embodiment, the mill may also have a pair I of horizontal work rolls operated in co-operation with the vertical work rolls.

One embodiment of the invention, which overcomes both the above disadvantages, will be described by way of example with reference to' the accompanying drawings,

in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a mill according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional front elevation of the mill, on the line II H, FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 3 is a plan of the mill, sectioned on the line IIIIII, FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, our rolling mill has a frame 10 whichis shaped like an inverted U. Each of the two coacting vertical work rolls 11, 12 is mounted in two bearing-members or chocks contained respectively in upper and lower extensions 13, 14, 15, 16 of a carrier 17 or 18. Each carrier 17 or 18 is guided by slide surfaces 19 formed above the base 20 which supports the mill frame 10 and guided and carried at its upper portion by slide surfaces indicated at 21 formed in the upper part of the mill frame 16.

The rolls 11, 12 and their associated carriers 17, 18 are traversed towards and away from one another by horizontally disposed screws 23, 24, 25,. 26 and hydraulic drawback rams 27 operated inthe Well-known manner by which the carriers 17, 18 are pulled apart as the screws are withdrawn. Each carrier is moved by two screws 23, 24 or 25, 26 and three drawback cylinders 27. The free ends of the rams are connected to the vertical web of the carrier 17 or 18 and suitable pads 28 are provided on the carrier to receive the ends of the screws which are spherical.

The points of connection of the drawback rams 27 to each carrier 17 or 18 are spaced along the vertical web of the carrier. operate between the upper two hydraulic rams 27, while the other screw such as 24 operates below the lowermost ram 27.

A horizontal bridge 22 consists of two parallel members 31, 32 spaced apart.

Centrally of the horizontal bridge 22 and over the roll gap is provided overhead gear 29 for drivingthe work rolls 11 and 12.

The overhead gear comprises a casing 30 containing two meshing pinions 33, 34, each pinion being provided Patented Dec. 8., 1964 One screw such as 23 is arranged to.

with a bore which houses a splined plug 36 or 37 provided with a palm end to engage with a jaw on a universal spindle 38 or 39. Provision is made for raising the universal spindles for roll changing as will be described hereinafter.

The pinions 33, 34 are driven from a horizontal drive shaft 40 through a pair of bevel wheels 41, 42 and an intermediate pinion 40a. The horizontal drive shaft 40 is offset from the line of traversing movement of the roll which coincides with the line joining the centres of the meshing pinions 33, 34. Conveniently, the line of the .drive shaft makes an angle of about 40 with the line joining the centres of the meshing pinions.

The overhead gear 29 is grouped centrally of the bridge 22, and due to the offsettingof the drive shaft' 40 unobstructed openings 43, 44 are left between the parallel members 31, 32 of the bridge 22 at either side of the overhead gear 29.

It is .through these openings that the rolls 11, 12 are withdrawn at roll changing as described hereinafter.

The bot-tom of each depending universal spindle 38 or 39 is formed with a palm end 45 and the top of each roll is provided with a jaw half-coupling 46 to receive the palm end 45 of the spindle.

Roll changing is effected as follows:

The rolls are traversed until their respective universal spindles 38, 39 are vertical. Then each spindle (see 3% in FIGURE 2) is raised so that its palm end 45 is clear of the jaw half-coupling 46 at the top of the roll. The

screws such as 25, 26 are then retracted so that the carriers 17, 18 and rolls 11, 12 are traversed away from one another by the drawback rams 27. The slide surfaces 21 and 19 for the upper and lower extensions of the carriers 17, 18 extend horizontally sothat each roll 11 or 12 may be traversed to a position outside the overhead drive and under one of the openings 43 or 44 hereinbefore described. The roll 12 is so shown in FIGURE 2. After the removal of the retaining bolts, the rolls and their associated chocks are free to be lifted through the openings 43 or 44.

It will be seen that the rolls ll, 12 may be traversed outwardly simultaneously and that the disconnecting operations may also be carried outsimultaneously on each roll. This is an advantage over prior mills where each roll had to be disconnected from its carrier in succession.

A crane (not shown) is then brought to a position over'a roll and a sling is .attached to the top end of the roll and the roll and its associated chocks are lifted out through the opening 43 or 44 as a single assembly. A replacement roll assembly is then lowered into position and attached to the carrier. The same procedure is followed for the other roll.

Preferably, the openings 43, 44 are large enough to give passage to the carriers 17, 18.

It will be appreciated that for economical running expensive capital equipment should be kept in operation continuously, and therefore, that it is advantageous to shorten unavoidable stoppage as much as possible. It is estimated that with mills according to the present invention there is a reductionof the order of 50% in roll changing time as compared with present mills.

The mill described above may comprise the vertical stand of a universal slabbing mill, and it will be seen that the Work path through the horizontal rolls will not be obstructed during roll changing of the vertical stand.

We claim: 7 1. A rolling mill comprising a fixed, functionally closed, mill frame, two vertical work rolls, chocks for.

each of said work rolls, said chocks for both said rolls being supported in said mill frame and, while so supported, being movable independently along a traversal path in the common vertical. plane of said rolls, and common driving means for said rolls carried by said frame above said rolls, said frame having an opening 4. which is vertically above said path and which is unobstructed vertically by said driving means.

2. A vertical rolling mill comprising a fixed, functionally closed, mill frame including an upper horizontal bridge member, twovertical rolls, chocks for rotatably carrying said rolls, slideways on said frame for supporting said chocks with said rolls vertically disposed and for permitting individual traversal of said rolls along a linear path whileso supported, means for effecting traversal of each said roll along said path, a drive member for each roll carried by said bridge member, and a common driving shaft for said drive members located above said frame and displaced laterally from said path, said bridge member having a vertically unobstructed opening therein vertically above said path.

3. A rolling mill comprising a fixed, functionally closed, mill frame, two vertical rolls, chocks for rotatably vdrive'member for each said roll carried by saidframe above said rolls, a disconnectable spindle between each said roll and its-drive member, and a common driving shaft for said drive members located above said frame I and displaced from above said path and leaving said opening unobstructed vertically.

4. A rolling mill comprising a fixed, functionally closed, mill frame including an upper horizontal bridge member, a pair of co-operating vertical rolls, a pair of chocks for each said roll, said chocks being supported in said housing with said rolls in vertical disposition, slideways on saidframe for permitting traversal of each said roll independently while supported by said frame from an operativeposition to a roll change position, a gear box centrally carried by said bridge member, disconnectable spindles coupling said gear box to said rolls when in their operative position, said bridge member. having an opening therein vertically above said roll change position of each said roll, and a drive shaft for said gear box displaced from said openings to permit the vertical removal of each said roll with its shocks through one of said openings.

5. A rollingrnill comprising a fixed, functionally closed,

nism located in said frame and acting on said chocks to move said roll towards the other said roll, for each roll a withdrawal ram for withdrawing said roll away from said other roll, a driving gear for each said roll mounted in said bridge member, a disconnectable spindle coupling each of said gears to one of said rolls when in operative position, said bridge member having an opening vertically above a roll change position, said opening being sufficiently large to permit vertical removal therethrough of a roll and its chocks, and a common drive shaft for said gears located above said bridge member but displaced from said opening.

6. A rolling mill as claimed in claim 5 wherein said driving gears are mounted on said bridge member centrally of said frame and wherein said bridge member has a'pair of openings therein, said openings being disposed vertically above the roll change positions of said rolls.

7. A rolling mill comprising a fixed, functionally closed, mill frame including an upper horizontal bridge member, a pair of co-operating vertical rolls, chocks for each said roll, a carrier for each said roll supporting the roll chocks, slideways on said frame for supporting said carriers with said rolls in vertical disposition and for permitting individual traversal movement of each said roll between an operative position and a roll change position while supported by said frame, means for each said roll for effecting traversal of the carrier, a driving gear for each said roll mounted in said bridge member, a disconnectable spindle coupling each of said gears to one of said rolls when in operative position, said bridge member having an opening vertically above a roll change position, said opening being sufiiciently large to permit vertical removal therethrough of a roll and its chocks, and common drive shaft for said gears located above said bridge member but displaced from said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Mikaelson et a1 80-31.1 Backhaus 80-311, OMalley 8055 Kalberkamp 80--55 Lobkowitz 8055 m WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primarv Examiner. 

1. A ROLLING MILL COMPRISING A FIXED, FUNCTIONALLY CLOSED, MILL FRAME, TWO VERTICAL WORK ROLLS, CHOKES FOR EACH OF SAID WORK ROLLS, SAID CHOCKS FOR BOTH SAID ROLLS BEING SUPPORTED IN SAID MILL FRAME AND, WHILE SO SUPPORTED, BEING MOVABLE INDEPENDENTLY ALONG A TRAVERSAL PATH IN THE COMMON VERTICAL PLANE OF SAID ROLLS, AND COMMON DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID ROLLS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME ABOVE SAID ROLLS, SAID FRAME HAVING AN OPENING WHICH IS VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID PATH AND WHICH IS UNOBSTRUCTED VERTICALLY BY SAID DRIVING MEANS. 